School News

School Board named "Boards of Distinction" winner

Twenty-four school boards in Washington were named this week as Boards of Distinction by the Washington State School Directors’ Association. This is the largest number of boards in the eight-year history of the program.

“The increase in the number of boards of distinction reflects the rise in expertise on boards across the state to improve the quality of public education for each and every child,” said WSSDA President Chris Nation. “Each of these boards demonstrates the excellent work done by Washington’s 295 school boards and 1,477 school board members. This program gives us a chance to acknowledge that commitment to their students and communities.”

The annual Boards of Distinction program honors school boards that demonstrate effective use of the Washington School Board Standards. The standards, developed and adopted by WSSDA in 2009, promote research-based governance practices that lead to high levels of student and district achievement, and help close the opportunity gap.

Award applicants submitted essays and supporting evidence to demonstrate how they are putting the standards into practice. This year, applicants addressed the following:

• Being accountable and open to the public, and seeking divergent perspectives in its decision making.
• Adopting a collaboratively developed district plan focused on learning and achievement.
• Employing and supporting quality teachers, administrators and other staff, and providing for professional development.

Applicants also discussed specific decisions their boards had made and evidence on how they were working to help close the opportunity gap.

The applications were evaluated by an independent review panel. Evergreen's Board (pictured: Deputy Superintendent John Steach, Todd Yuzuriha, Julie Bocanegra, Victoria Bradford, Rob Perkins, and Superintendent John Deeder -- Michael Parsons not pictured) was last chosen for the honor in 2009